Point Richmond wigwag inspection

I met up with Victor Morales and Don Woodrow on Saturday, August 25th to check out the wigwags, inside and out, to see what kind of shape they're in, and what will be involved to restore them. Mechanically they're in good shape and would probably operate just fine if someone were to connect them to a power source. But, cosmetically, they really need some work. It's apparent that they haven't been greased or oiled for many years. Both banners have several layers of paint and rust is showing through. The south wigwag is missing one of the lens visors. Many of the light visor clips will need to be replaced on both banners. The electrical stationary contacts look to be in pretty good shape. The movable finger contact on the south wigwag is showing signs of wear, but shouldn't be a problem for a wigwag that will only be operated for show. If it were going back into daily service, I would want to replace that part. One of the ribbon cables on the south wigwag will need to be replaced.

One thing I noticed... The south wigwag says "Magnetic Signal Co Los Angeles Cal" while the north wigwag says "Magnetic Signal Co Minneapolis Minn". I have photos of the north wigwag when it still said "Los Angeles". Sometime after 2000, that wigwag motor box was replaced with another unit. May explain why the internal parts are in better shape than its counterpart.

Victor and Don discuss restoration plans next to the north wigwag.

	South wigwag with doors and bell cover removed. Notice the motor box is leaning forward. This will need to be corrected later.
	Front detail photo.
	Sometime during the past 3 years, some took a paintbrush to these wigwags. They were quite rusty when I photographed them in 2015.
	Bell cover removed. Bell striker parts are gummed up with grease and dirt build-up. The bell striker parts were removed for restoration off-site.
	Inside the motor box. Much like the northern wigwag, but worse. The contacts are showing more wear on this one. One of the ribbon cables are frayed and will need replacement.

	Close up view of north wigwag .
	Bell covers were removed to inspect the bell striker mechanisms. These parts were removed to be restored off-site. The bell is activated by the swinging motion of the armature.
	The "guts". Almost everything in visible in this photo - the magnets (the red things on top), the armature (upper center), the terminal board that holds the stationary contacts, ribbon cables and the brake shoe (rear). Both wigwags are missing the brake beams, so the brakes do not operate. If I can locate a replacement set during this restoration, I will restore this feature.
	Detail photo of banner and light assembly. The many coats of paint are evident in this picture. Both banners will need a lot of work. It looks like the light visor was installed backwards here.
	This photo from 1999 shows the previous northern wigwag motor box, which had "Los Angeles Cal" on the front casting. This box was changed out the same year for a newer unit that was built in Minneapolis.
	From 2001, you can see where it says "Minneapolis Minn".